When you attest to having met meaningful use with your EHR, a CMS computer system does a fast, cursory check and then sets the gears in motion to deliver your bonus check, agency officials said during an Aug. 18 open door call on meaningful use.
The repository system at CMS “almost instantly” calculates attestation results entered on the EHR Incentive Program Registration and Attestation System website, said Travis Broome, a CMS health insurance specialist. What’s more, right now there is no real fact-checking going on; as long as the attestation data meets the thresholds (e.g., you enter 81 out of 100 patients when asked whether more than 80% of patients have an updated problem list), you get a successful attestation, Broome said.
“We’re essentially, at this point, taking your word for it,” he admitted. “There will be an audit process for meaningful use.” But there’s no timeframe and Broome could offer no further details. Does this seem like CMS is giving a free hand to fraudsters? The audit process could be terribly weak, if state Medicaid audit plans (for the Medicaid EHR incentive) are any indication.
Look for a longer story on highlights and revelations from the CMS meaningful use call in the next issue of Part B News.